Page:The Enchanted Parrot.djvu/21

Rh the end of it all was that Haridatta pacified his wife with some difficulty, and at last persuaded her to go home with him."

Prabhâvatî and her friends were enchanted with the story, and as night was now tolerably far advanced they all went to bed.

next evening Prabhâvatî began to think over her pursuit of a lover, and asked the parrot for his advice. The parrot said: "Go, by all means, if you desire to go! That is to say, if you are as clever in getting out of difficulties as Yaśodevî was."

"And pray who was Yaśodevĭ? " rejoined Prabhâvatî.

"If I tell you," replied the parrot, "and keep you here, perhaps you will carry out your intention of wringing my neck."

"Never mind," answered Prabhâvatî, "be the result what it may, I must hear the story of Yaśodevî."

So the parrot began—

"There is a town called Nandana, whose prince bore the same name. He had a son, Râjaśekhara,